


Water Bed

by Goron_King_Darunia



Series: Together with Richter [3]
Category: Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World
Genre: Inflation, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-16
Updated: 2015-01-16
Packaged: 2018-03-07 19:08:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3179846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Goron_King_Darunia/pseuds/Goron_King_Darunia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometime after Flanoir, Emil and Richter are camping between towns, but Emil has been restless. As much as he loves Richter, and loves sex with Richter, he feels a bit… inadequate. He tries to initiate sex to try his hand at pleasuring Richter all on his own, but he succumbs to Richter’s attempts to pleasure him. Discouraged and disappointed, Emil fails to sleep. Ratatosk, sensing his distress, sends Aqua to help. And boy does she help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Water Bed

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all~. So, I was cataloging all the fic I'd written/started writing/drafted/thought up, and it actually put in perspective the last couple of years. I felt like I had been pretty unproductive, but looking at everything I did (and still need to do/am still doing) I realized I've actually done quite a lot for someone who's in college full time, wastes hours on Tumblr, plays video games often, and drops everything whenever a friend wants to hang out. If you totaled up the hours I spend not writing, and then all the writing I've done since I finished Together with Richter, I've written a HELL of a lot for someone with very little time. That being said, I grew rather proud of my accomplishments and decided that, even though I don't like releasing things in progress/unfinished (since I know how heartbreaking it can be to read the start of a great fic only to have the author drop it.) I decided you all deserve to see what I've been doing all this time. I'll be uploading basically everything that's been written out in a "story" format (as opposed to role-play format, because I'm transcribing those into stories. 0w0) 
> 
> That being said, expect a lot of random pieces that will eventually assemble into the giant series Together with Richter was meant to be, along with tidbits of AUs, crack, more of the ever popular Flanoir, Mind Twin's favorite: The Maid at Rosethorn Hall, and all things related to our beloved Richter, Emil, and Aster (and sometimes Aqua because she's my fucking spirit animal and I love her).
> 
> That said, I hope you enjoy what I've written and what I decide to post here. Just keep in mind that life can be unpredictable, so there is the ever-present (though highly unlikely possibility) that I will have to drop these fics someday and leave them unfinished. I plan to stick with them as long as I can, but after college, I have no idea what I'm going to be doing, so I have no idea how much time I'll have to work on these. But that's why you deserve to see them all now, before I forget them, before I might be forced to orphan them because hey, I have to eat to live and that costs money, and I can't leech off my parents forever. Hopefully, though, I'll be able to support myself and still keep writing. Who knows? If you guys are interested and would like to buy/be willing to buy published works from me, I might just do that. 0w0 It would be great to support myself writing things for your guys. 
> 
> Anyway, enough of my blather. XD Please enjoy this lovely (porny) Richter/Emil Kinksmut! >w

Somewhere between Ozette and Sybak, amidst the thick trees of Gaoracchia Forest, Emil and Richter were camping for the night. Richter was in Stage 4 of what Emil figured was his second sleep cycle. And yes, the blond had been keeping track. Emil had the misfortune of insomnia that night... not that he'd never had that problem before. There were nights when he'd been kept awake by his racing thoughts, who he was, Aster, Ratatosk, that whole identity crisis had accrued him an ample sleep debt at one point. But it wasn't like that now.

Since he'd been with Richter, he'd been blessed with peaceful slumber every night (debauchery, after all, takes a lot out of you, and the release of endorphins makes sleep an easy target...) and even beyond the draining "activities", Richter's presence was just comforting. Emil never felt alone, never felt unwanted or unneeded, and he always felt at peace when Richter was near. And if that wasn't soothing enough to put him to sleep, Richter never objected to gulping Emil down before bed. The warm, soft pocket of muscle that Emil had the benefit of using as his own private sleeping quarters never failed to relax him; Richter's stomach was his own personal safe-haven, and the gentle sounds of Richter's body, the heartbeat and breathing, the groaning of the older male's muscles as they massaged Emil from all sides, the familiar weight of Richter's arm across him, these were all common comforts to him now.

So why, then, did sleep elude him this night? Granted, he was not ensconced by the redhead's warm, soft belly this night, but he didn't think even that would help. It was the most peculiar thing, really. This was a wild, irrational, inexplicable insomnia. He had no thoughts disrupting him (hell, he'd started keeping track of Richter's sleep cycles just so he would have something to distract him from boredom, and the nagging urge to rouse Richter so he would have something, _anything_ to do....) and he was worn out from the travel and the nightly ritual he and Richter had fallen into, and he was warm enough, comfortable enough, just snuggled against his mate. But he was wide awake. Damned if he knew why, but he was.

A distressed moan was caught in Emil's throat, and it had been escaping as a strained breath, but Emil was finding it harder and harder not to give in to his childish instinct to poke at Richter, asking if he was up yet, over and over and over and over until he got a (most likely annoyed) reply. The half-elf's stomach gurgled quietly, almost as if it was offering to make conversation, and Emil couldn't suppress a weak smile as he stroked the little paunch that Richter had acquired from the evening feast Emil had prepared.

Richter had complained jokingly that evening that if Emil continued stuffing him with all that delicious food, he was going to get fat. Emil had laughed at the remark. "You can't seriously be worried about that. You have absolute control of your metabolism, remember? And by the way, even if you didn't, it wouldn't be my fault if you got fat. You're the one who's putting the food in your mouth, so it's your own fault if your pants stop fitting!" Emil had teased him about how fat he really would be if he wasn't in the blessed possession of genetically altered metabolic processes. 

"What a horrible thought..." Richter had mused, "I'd be rotund... Ugh..." The redhead shuddered at the idea of possessing such a girth. Granted, both he and Emil had kind of a kink for bellies, it was no secret. Actually, Richter had been planning on surprising Emil with a little feast and stuffing his little human partner for once... but, of course, he would have to learn to cook first... Cooking, eating, sex, sex, sex... Which caused which was not apparent, the fetish might have existed before the pairing of food and sex, or might have developed, might have caused these nightly habits or might have been formed from the pleasurable experiences from enacting such rituals. But whatever the cause or reason, it was at the point of abdominal distention that arousal occurred... anything beyond that was a bit unattractive to Richter. A bit of a belly bulge was sexy for him, but he had to admit that imagining himself or Emil with stores of fat rolling over wrinkled joints was repellant. Of course, he had been a little tipsy at the time, and saw no particular reason to filter that thought before he blurted that out to Emil.

Of course, Emil knew that Richter was not insinuating that he would stop loving him if he gained weight, but he couldn't resist messing around with his mate; it was ridiculously easy to play mind games with the older male when he was drunk, and Emil enjoyed any opportunity to get the redhead to apologize needlessly. "What a horrible thing to say! You mean if I got fat, you wouldn't love me anymore?!" Emil enjoyed how vulnerable and distressed Richter looked as he tried to answer. 

Richter's brain was not so sharp when he was drunk, and it took him a while to find the words he wanted. "Well, it's not that I wouldn't love you... It's just... well, not something I'd prefer, y'know?" Richter was making meaningless gestures with his hands throughout, as though trying to alleviate the tension he found himself in. "I mean, it's hard to say right now, 'cause you're all skinny. Getting really, _really_ fat," Richter spread his arms to illustrate the exaggerated weight-gain, "that takes a while, so I guess if you ever _did_ get fat, I'd be used to it, if I even noticed at all." Richter tried to take another drink from his bottle, but frowned when he discovered it was empty, vaguely aware that he looked silly trying to drink from an empty container. Emil giggled and handed him another bottle of mead and prompted him to continue explaining himself, actually becoming quite interested in the way Richter put together his argument; it was exceptionally logical for an argument put together while drunk.

"So you'd still love me if I were fat right now?" Emil raised his eyebrows.

"Well, that's the thing..." Richter bit down on the cork and yanked it out in one swift motion. He spat the cork near the fire (presumably aiming to get it _in_ the fire, but lacking the accuracy for it) and took a swig of the honey flavored liquor. He looked back up at Emil with an almost pouty look as he continued. "See, I love you as you are, and I wouldn't stop loving you no matter what. I love you as a person, not a thing, that's why it wouldn't matter what you look like... but... Well, there's love and there's sexual attraction. And I'm sexually attracted to you as a person, too, but..."

Emil was beginning to understand how this all fit together in Richter's head. "So you'd still love me if I was fat, but you would have a hard time getting a hard-on if I was fat?" Emil was half surprised and half amused. Sure, he admitted to himself that if Richter was ridiculously obese that he wouldn't be as enthused about making love to him, but he had never really thought about it from Richter's perspective before. Still, Emil was glad that at least he and Richter had the same feelings about this topic.

Richter was looking away from Emil, ashamed by the way he felt. It was the truth, though, but he still felt like apologizing for it. "I'm sorry, Emil."

Emil shook his head. "No, it's fine, I understand what you mean. I feel the same." He nuzzled his mate, handing him a bit of dessert. "But, again, we don't have to worry about that, right? You've got your powers, I've got the Yromem Stone*, and we both have each other. That's all we need." Richter smiled and agreed, chewing greedily on a mouthful of tiramisu.

"Of course, _I'd_ still love you, even if you were fat." Emil giggled.

Richter grinned back. "Well, you'd better! Like I said, if it weren't for my powers, I _would_ be fat by now. Your cooking's too damn tasty. It'd be an insult not to eat such fine cooking."

"Aww, thanks. That compliment almost made me overlook the fact that you were trying to blame me for your hypothetical fatness again." Richter froze with an irked expression, and he tried to figure out what exactly he'd said (he hadn't been thinking before speaking) and how he was going to fix it.

Emil laughed and told Richter that he was just teasing him again. Richter laughed too, but remained tense a long while after, taking extra care in what he said from then on, not wanting to say something insulting or suggestive without meaning to. By the time he finished the meal, however, he was at ease again. The alcohol had gotten him beyond that awkward, fumbling buzz to that confident, "beer muscles" state of mind. He hugged his little human partner tightly, thanking him for the meal. No matter how often he said it, Emil still lit up when he thanked him. That was good, because it meant the emotion behind the words was un-obscured and genuine. Too often, "please"s and "thank you"s and "sorry"s were meaningless words, pointless pleasantries thrown into everyday speech as if conforming to some grammatical rule rather than expressing the respectful request, appreciation, or remorse they were designed to. But even with how much language in general failed to convey the true power of emotions, when he talked to Emil, those emotions shone through anyway. This made him even more confident, and he kept rolling with that feeling.

"Your desserts are always delicious... I think I'd like another." Emil cocked his head, then shrugged, almost getting to his feet, but Richter cast him that lustful look that said 'not _that kind_ of dessert.' Emil blushed and scooted closer to Richter, greeting his partner in an embrace and Richter proceeded with the foreplay. He sucked Emil's earlobe, giving it an occasional nibble as he began unzipping, unbuttoning, and untying various articles of the boy's clothes.

Emil responded as expected, quiet moans and shivers, hair standing up on end, breath becoming uneven and heart beginning to quicken. Emil went to work on the half-elf's clothes too, unfastening everything he could reach and running his hands over the smooth dark skin underneath. Richter always wore such thick clothes, always covered up, too much, too much.... but then, how was his skin so dark underneath? Emil lost himself in that thought for a moment, having fleeting fantasies of Richter in the nude, tanning on a beach somewhere, suntan oil glistening on his skin, sweat beading on that handsome brow, collecting, running down a cheek. In his mind's eye, his field of vision followed that bisecting line of symmetry down his body - between his pectorals, along the sternum, dividing the six-pack into two sets of three, meeting with the navel - then it stopped, right where the man's legs crossed, obscuring the symbols of manhood that he knew so well.

That was enough for Emil, the touching and the nibbling and the hot, moist breath against his skin; that vision his mind had created for him from a fragment of an observation, and that powerful love between the both of them that had been growing for more than a year now, so simple in his mind and heart, but so complicated when converted to words... he was ready.

Richter had managed to get the last of his clothes off, and had just finished removing the last of Emil's clothing, too. They moved closer to each other, tightened their embrace, their cocks brushing against each other, like an awkwardly pleasant handshake. Richter reached down, fingers grazing Emil's erection, then his own, friction so light, but so intense, calloused fingers that were so soft on his face and back, but so coarse and rough and so, so good down there. 

Richter's breath was hot and heavy, tickling his skin. He liked that. Then, Richter was easing him down, shifting his weight, and Emil was eager, he wanted it, but... but...

"R-Richter...?" Emil whispered, but he was so nervous it sounded like a scream to him. The redhead paused, perplexed. Emil had never addressed him pre-entry before.

"Yeah, Emil? What's the matter?" Richter shifted anxiously, his penis fidgeting just as much as he was, wondering why it hadn't started yet when it had finally gotten ready. 

"N-nothing's 'the matter', exactly... I just..." Emil flinched for a moment, reverting to that timid, childish, submissive persona before he gathered his courage again, reminding himself that he was supposed to be more assertive, and that his desires had value, and that voicing them was encouraged. He had to say it! He took a deep, steadying breath and declared, confidently, "I want to try a new position."

Richter smirked. "Well, well, not even asking now, are we? You're just telling me. I kind of like that..." Richter purred, giving the blond a gentle nip on the shoulder. Richter let Emil go, allowing the boy to move into a wide straddle.

Emil pressed Richter down, hands caressing the soft skin of the man's chest as he did. "I still want you inside me, but... I want to be on top."

"Ooh, feeling adventurous, are we?" The redhead stroked his partner's cheek, earning one of Emil's adorable giggles as he deliberately tickled the skin where the boy's jaw and neck joined.

"Well, isn't that what courage is all about? 'Adventures'?" Emil grinned, rubbing his hands up along Richter's chest, over those broad shoulders, and back down over the man's toned, muscular arms.

"Mmmm... Yes, it is." Richter pressed himself up into Emil's hands, maximizing the physical contact, grinning broadly as Emil retraced the motions. "I like adventures..." Richter raised one arm and pulled Emil toward him for a kiss while the other hand got the blond's lower half into position. Richter's lips opened against the human's, and as his tongue poked in to explore, he was inserting his member into Emil. The blond moaned into his mouth and he smirked a bit as the boy pushed back against his hips, trying to get the entire length inside him faster. 

Richter's manhood twitched inside, eager to go all in, as well, and Emil shuddered a bit when he felt it. Richter was lifting his hips now, working his way inside as the younger male's moans became more and more anxious. Emil gave a particularly loud moan when Richter squeezed his hips, pulling him down and forcing himself in deeper. He released Richter's lips, needing to breathe more now, needing to do more than just kiss and wait.

"So... good...", Emil gasped, biting his lip as he leaned back a bit, trying to get the half-elf in deeper. "M-more... Deeper... Oh, Goddess, why can't you go faster?" Emil shifted impatiently, knowing there were still a few inches left to go before Richter would begin the thrusts. 

"Now, now, don't be so impatient. If I go any faster, it'll hurt... for both of us." The older male whispered in an almost sing-song manner. "Trust me, I want to go faster, but you need to stretch and lube before any of the action happens, and that takes time... Unless you want us both to be limping around tomorrow, you should just relax and enjoy the moment..."

"Nngh, but it's hard to wait..." Emil whined. "I want it now." The blond was making clumsy thrusting motions with his hips, trying to get a little friction on his own member while enduring the agonizingly long wait for Richter to reach maximum depth. Normally, Emil wouldn't have minded the wait, but lately, he'd been having these urges, raw sexual tension, hormones raging, wanting it so badly that even once a night didn't feel like enough. He moaned, distressed as the light, uneven friction of each awkward thrust sent a small pulse of pleasure through him, but not enough, not like when Richter was pounding into him, or when on rare occasions he was pounding into Richter.

Richter rolled his eyes, finding the boy's impatience both adorable and unbearable. He reached down with one hand and wrapped it around the stiff column of muscle, giving it a few crude jerks just to tease the blond, watch him squirm. He released his grip, dragging his fingers too, too slowly over the hard shaft, lifting them just before grazing the sensitive head, making Emil shudder and whine, begging for more.

"R-Richteeeeeer..." Emil reached after the half-elf's hand, trying to get it to touch him again, where he really needed it. 

The redhead smiled smugly and waggled his finger. "Uh-uh-uh-uh... You naughty thing. Making me do all the work for you." He wrapped both hands around Emil's hips, jerking his own hips upward, sliding the last bit of his manhood in with one quick stroke. Emil gasped, half-pain, half-ecstasy, feeling the hot, hard length stretch his insides just a little too much a little too fast. "See? That's what happens when we go too fast..." Richter muttered, feeling the jolt of discomfort the excess friction had caused on him. "Just thought I'd give you a little reminder so you don't have to ask me why I "can't go faster"..."

Emil dug his nails into Richter's shoulders, breath hot and heavy as he put his mouth to the man's ear. "I _like_ it..." Emil took the pointed tip of the half-elf's ear between his teeth, licking and sucking and nibbling, earning a deep moan from his partner and a few weak thrusts. "Mmmmm, harder, Richter..." Emil demanded, using a voice much more confident than his usual submissive tone. 

"Easy for you to say." Richter grunted, pumping his hips up and down as swiftly as he could manage. "I have to lift you _and_ your cooking from this angle..." Richter tried to push himself up more, tried to get a better angle, but Emil forced him back down.

"Then I'll do it..." Emil purred, grinding his hips down lightly at first, then harder. The redhead groaned in response, trying to thrust up into Emil again, despite his earlier complaint about the unpleasant angle. Emil ran both his hands up and out along his mate's currently stuffed belly, making Richter even more frustrated that his best attempts at movement yielded only minor friction. He was just too _full_ , and while sex on a full stomach was a common occurrence, gravity made performing with his current girth nearly impossible at this angle. The blond's hands massaging him, the way he was grinding down over and over, it was so good, but Richter needed more. He felt almost useless where he was, watching his mate rolling his hips down, a slight furrow in his brow. Emil looked so focused, so absorbed, but not... _happy_... Richter wanted Emil to enjoy it; after all, he had enjoyed the boy's cooking immensely, and the treatment he was currently receiving - a belly rub and impromptu coitus - were far more than he felt he deserved, especially when Emil was the one doing all the work. 

Richter let out a frustrated growl, propping himself up on his elbows as he tried to maneuver into the optimum position. "Dammit, drunk, full, and on-the-bottom, are not three compatible conditions, here, kid. I can't do _anything_ from this angle." The redhead finally managed to get himself relatively upright with his mate still rolling his hips down and around in an attempt to generate friction. 

"W-wait, Richter." Emil whimpered, grinding more frantically now, trying to make up for what he assumed was an insufficient performance. "I can do better, r-really. J-just give me a chance to --"

"Emil." Richter interrupted, sounding only mildly frustrated, but not angry. "You're doing fine, okay? It's me that's having trouble. We can keep everything the same, I just need to be a bit more..." Richter finally inched his way over to a tree nearby and leaned against the trunk for support, letting out a satisfied sigh when he found this to be a much more sufficient angle. "Upright." He finished, smiling at his young partner. He bent his knees and jerked his hips upward, hitting deep, hitting hard, hitting fast, too fast for Emil to react. 

Emil could only gasp as the sudden thrust sank into him, hitting a sensitive spot somewhere deep inside with tremendous force, knocking the wind out of him in one swift motion, like a punch to the gut, and what a punch it was... Emil's core muscles tensed and clenched around the hot, hard member throbbing inside, and as his breath returned to him, he couldn't help but shudder and moan while his partner shifted, fingers massaging that sensitive nerve-bundle along his lower back, making it impossible to maintain any sort of composure.

"See?" The half-elf whispered. "That feels much better, doesn't it?" He gave the young blond a softer, gentler thrust to help stimulate a response, but avoid taking away the breath the boy would need to vocalize it.

"Much... better..." Emil echoed, starting to go limp under the influence of all the pleasant sensations assaulting his nerves. 

Richter smiled at the way the boy just melted in his arms. All it had ever taken to make Emil drunk with bliss was a few good thrusts and a little ear nibbling. It was the only time he was sure he was paying Emil back equally for the food and other 'services' the blond provided him. Richter was fairly easy to please; good food (sometimes substituted by or complemented by Emil) in his belly and a long nap were two sure fire ways to make him immobilized with happiness. And of course, he did enjoy orgasms just as much. But Emil was a little more difficult than that. Richter was a bit ashamed by the way Emil could so easily please him, yet he could rarely cater to his young mate's similar needs. Yes, he knew quite a few things that made Emil happy: a warm bath, a heartfelt compliment, a hug, a few hours inside his stomach, and the occasional date night were all things that he knew would never fail to make Emil smile. However, there wasn't really very much that put Emil in a state of total ecstasy. Sex seemed the only thing that gave Emil that same orgasmic bliss that Richter could find just as easily in a good meal or a belly rub. 

He wanted to find more things that would do that to Emil, more ways to make the younger male collapse from sheer, overwhelming pleasure, because it didn't seem fair that Emil appeared to have far fewer instances of total contentment than he himself did. But, for the moment, sex would suffice; and since that was already underway, Richter suspended thoughts about seeking alternatives for the moment and focused all his energy into the swift, powerful thrusts into that hot, tight ass, finding the moans resonating from the boy's chest just as pleasant as the friction and resistance greeting his member with each of the thrusts.

Despite Emil's best efforts to remain a productive partner during intercourse, he found his attempts at pleasuring Richter with a new position to be moot. He had wanted to do it the way Richter did it to him. He wanted to be the one in control, grinding his hips down, taking in that wonderful, thick shaft of muscle and riding it. He wanted to watch Richter make those almost pained expressions and moan his name, begging him for more. He wanted to take that power he had - that power to make the half-elf shudder and tense with the slightest touch inside his belly - and he wanted to transfer that to this exchange; an exchange where he could see his face, lips syncing up to those deep moans, facial muscles tensing up just the same as the rest. But he had failed. He was the one incapacitated by the exceptional sex and Richter was the one doing all the work. Sure, he'd performed well for Richter before, but it was the same boring position every time, even when they changed places. He thought with this, he would be able to get the best of both worlds; he thought he could have that same familiar pleasure of the man's member deep inside and yet be the one in control, making Richter squirm and plead for more. He might have been sad if it wasn't for the aforementioned member drilling into him and making any linear thought derail and morph into "Oh, Goddess, that feels _wonderful_..."

By this point, Emil had all but collapsed onto Richter, barely able to muster the energy to thrust back against his mate, so overwhelmed by the heat and friction and pressure and pleasure. Richter didn't mind, though. He enjoyed the challenge. He enjoyed the "adventure"... Maybe if he had known what Emil was thinking or if Emil had known what Richter was thinking, the sex would have been even better, but they were both still trying to get used to the idea of having an equal exchange without a "one-sided" compromise. Whenever they reached these sorts of impasses, they both instinctively played the martyr, thinking that was the only way to please their mate. They had considerable practice at it now, and though they had many successful exchanges - sexual or otherwise - without either sacrificing, it was second-nature to them. By taking control, Richter thought he was doing a favor, easing Emil's supposed difficulty at generating adequate friction and creating an experience he thought Emil would find just as exquisite as he had found the evening meal. And Emil thought that by yielding control he was giving Richter what he preferred; he thought that perhaps, his early attempts had been insufficient, and that this was what Richter wanted instead. In effect, both were foiling the other's desire: all they wanted was for the other to be happy, but by being so absorbed in providing the other pleasure, they failed to be happy themselves. It was an odd sort of problem, and not one that was obvious to either member. The superficial pleasure of the moment, the kind caused by synapses firing and natural release, masked the essential lack of the true pleasure both sought to provide, a deeper, emotional kind of pleasure. But, without communication, this problem would go unsolved.

Needless to say, there was release and pleasure and all the good sensations that come with an orgasm, and both were more or less content despite the "problem" previously mentioned. They had cuddled, as they always did before settling down to sleep. However, this is where the two separated. Richter, having the good fortune to have a mess of hormones from orgasm - serotonin, oxytocin, and prolactin among them - additional serotonin and endorphins from the large meal, and the pleasantly groggy effect of alcohol on his side, was quickly put to sleep. Emil, on the other hand, was only made tired by his release, but not relaxed, not sleepy, and he was still awake when the sky began to brighten from black to grey and the eastern horizon became a slowly brightening line of white as the sun lit an overcast layer of clouds from below. His eyes were dry and itchy from lack of sleep, and his muscles were sore and twitchy now, unable to completely relax through the night like they should have. He was so frustrated he wanted to cry, but he was so tired he couldn't even summon the strength to make tears. Was it just because he wasn't totally satisfied? Or was it because he felt like he didn't satisfy Richter? Or was it both? Or something else? Emil buried his face between Richter's arm and body, trying to mute the light and find some way, any way, to fall asleep for a minute - one _second_ , even - just to end this feeling.

It was about then that he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He had felt this kind of sensation before, with Tenebrae; it was a weightless sensation, like the gentlest, faintest breeze. But this one was cool and had an almost humid quality to it. Emil slowly opened his eyes and turned just enough to see Aqua, smiling gently back at him.

"Hey." She whispered almost as softly as her hand rested on his shoulder. "Lord Ratatosk told me you weren't feeling too well."

Emil wanted to ask how on earth Ratatosk would have known how he was feeling, but that was too many words for him to think, let alone utter in his exhausted state. So instead he just replied: "Yeah..."

Still, Aqua was able to infer what he had been meaning to ask from the brief, sort of confused look that overlapped his frustrated expression seconds before he responded. "He... He 'feels' you at times. Verius was able to split you into two only because both he and you wished to be separate. But... your hearts have a... a stronger connection than most. And he's a Summon Spirit. He can sense mana. So... well, bluntly speaking, he's more attuned to changes in your mana signature. If that makes sense..." 

Emil nodded weakly, even though it didn't _entirely_ make sense to him. "...Can't sleep..." Emil muttered as an answer to the unasked but highly predictable next question concerning why he wasn't feeling well.

"Aww, that's too bad. Master Richter had the worst insomnia for almost two years after--" Aqua caught herself bringing up the taboo subject of Aster's death and choked back the rest of that sentence. Emil was able to fill in the rest on his own, however, which did not help his feelings of distress in that moment.

"When did he stop?" Emil inquired, forcing himself to hold back that instinctive apology for Aster's death, though neither Richter nor Aqua placed the blame on him. 

"When he met you..." Aqua sighed. "He really loves you. Too much if you ask me..." Aqua looked away, wishing to be in Emil's place. "You... You better be good to him, okay? If you ever make Master Richter unhappy, I'll never forgive you." Aqua had an odd mixture of a blush and an angry expression on her face as she made this veiled 'threat'. She really had no intention of harming Emil, knowing from experience that it wouldn't work so long as Richter was alive, but she wanted Richter to be happy, and if Emil made him happy, she wanted the blond to know of this responsibility and to take it seriously. Little did she know just how seriously Emil _did_ take this responsibility. 

Now it was Emil who was avoiding eye-contact. Her words held a particular weight now, after that 'not-quite-spectacular' sex session last night. Finally, he confessed, thinking that maybe it would alleviate some of the stress or frustration or whatever damned force was keeping him up. "I try... but lately...", he blushed as the next words left his lips, "lately the s-sex hasn't been so good..."

Aqua blushed as well, wondering why the boy was confiding in her about something so private. "I-is that so...?" Aqua fiddled with her earring, trying to hide her interest in the subject of sex with Richter. She was so absorbed in seeming aloof, she didn't think carefully about her next words and they were uttered long before she realized it was a stupid question. "Why not?"

"Dunno." Emil carefully sat up, avoiding any movement that would make sound or jostle Richter to avoid waking the older male. "If I knew, I'd do something to fix it." Aqua's blush deepened a few shades as she apologized for the aforementioned 'stupid question'. "It's fine." Emil muttered, not catching the irony in the fact that he was now in the position of excusing unnecessary apologies. "We've... tried switching places and new positions, but... nothing really seems to help."

"Has Master Richter actually _complained_ about your performance? Or the sex in general, for that matter?" Aqua asked, finding it a little easier to talk about this now that Emil seemed comfortable with it.

"No, not really..." Emil shrugged.

"Then how do you know it's bad sex? Are _you_ unhappy with it?!" Aqua was a few too many decibels of surprised for Emil's taste, and he shushed her as he checked to make sure Richter was still sleeping. The half-elf was still snoozing like a big, drunken baby of course, and after confirming this, Emil answered in a hushed tone. 

"It's not that exactly... it's complicated. I _like_ it, but I just feel like... I don't know... like it could be better, I guess." Aqua had a hard time imagining that anything could be better than having sex with Richter, and she had a much more difficult time trying to imagine 'bad sex' with Richter. 

"Better how?" She inquired, holding back a second inquiry about how sex with Richter could be anything but marvelous.

"I just feel like... like I'm not quite good enough for him. I can never really... I'm not sure if this is the right phrase, but... I feel like I'm not quite able to 'ring his bell' like I used to. He ends up doing most of the work, and I feel bad about that, but... when _I_ do it, it doesn't seem like I'm doing it right... He doesn't exactly say so, but he always takes control, and when he does... I just crumble, I can't do anything but lie there and take it. I should be able to do more, but I just... I can't."

"Well, then what's different from the times you've had 'quality' sex?"

"I don't know!" Emil managed to stifle his shout to a whisper just as it was leaving his mouth, but instinctively checked on Richter anyway, knowing his voice had been louder than intended. He was careful to be quite as he finished his response. "The last few times we had good sex were pretty varied. In a bed, out in the open, him on top, me on top, large meal before, large meal after, foreplay, impromptu. Hell if I know what changed..."

"Maybe it's more subtle than that. How's your attitude been about sex, lately?"

"Attitude?!" Emil balked. What on earth did that have to do with the quality? Sex was about positions and touching and heat and the 'attitude' was always lust, wasn't it? "We're just horny, that's it!" Emil whisper-yelled, folding his arms and blushing, flustered and annoyed by what he thought was a pointless question.

"That's not what I mean. What are you _thinking_ when you're having sex? What's your motivation? Well, _besides_ being horny, I mean."

"Well, I don't know. Tonight I started with 'let's try a new position', then I got to thinking about whether or not Richter would like it, then we started and it went from 'I hope he likes it' to 'I think he likes it' to 'Never mind' to 'Why can't I do this right?' to 'Oh, Goddess, that's good...'"

"When did he seem happiest?"

Emil rolled his eyes, thinking it some odd flight-of-fancy that she would just shift to such a seemingly unrelated sub-topic. "I don't know. I guess about half-way through, after he had taken control. I was pretty much kaput by that time." 

"You know what this sounds like to me?" Emil shrugged, not really caring anymore; he was more preoccupied with his own thoughts about his inefficient lovemaking that he wasn't really up for indulging Aqua's theories. He returned his attention to her once he heard her next words. "It sounds to me like a sexual power struggle."

"A _what_?"

"It's kind of like you both want to be in control because you both want to satisfy each other. You have sex as a way to indulge your partner, and you feel best when you feel like they're being fully satisfied. Normally, when one partner - the dominant one - has this trait, and the other doesn't, it goes smoothly, because they satisfy each other. But it seems like with the two of you feeling that need, neither of you is really getting what you want. Master Richter wants to see you happy, and you want to see him happy, but you become so focused on trying to perform well that you forget to enjoy it yourself."

This made some sense to Emil, but it lacked the thing he was most interested in: a solution. "So what am I supposed to do about that, then? Just lie there and take it?! That doesn't seem fair to Richter _or_ to me..."

"I never said that. But you're right, that's not fair. You're trying to find that delicate balance, and it's a difficult thing. Perfect equality is very hard to find, in everything from the caste system to basic relationships. That doesn't make it impossible, just very difficult. The key is communication. You and Master Richter need to come up with some sort of plan. You can try it turn based or just wing it, but the basic point is for you to both be able to get what you need in each exchange. When you want to be on top, you need to ask, and when he wants to be on top, too, then you need to negotiate. You don't have to just give up on your desires and needs because they seem to conflict with his. There's always a compromise. So you don't need to be selfless, just don't get too selfish. I know it seems like a paradox, but so does perfect equality, right?"

Emil felt a little better at this suggestion. It was true; when he asked, Richter usually agreed to his ideas. When they talked things through, they always arrived at an agreement they both found pleasant. And the more he thought about this, the more it seemed to him that his performance that night wasn't really so bad. He hadn't really 'failed' so much as he settled on the position that was most satisfying to both of them. Richter _had_ looked happy when he was working on him, delighting in every little moan he made. He hadn't complained about Emil's performance either; in fact, he seemed to _like_ it up until he noticed that Emil wasn't quite so happy. Emil understood now why Richter had taken over. He really had been so absorbed in his performance that he failed to show any enjoyment for it. Emil felt silly for not noticing that the whole time, Richter had been thinking exactly the same things he himself was thinking.

"Yeah," Emil finally agreed, "I think, you're right." 

Aqua smiled back, but tensed moments later, excitement lighting up her eyes as she remembered something. "Oh, I almost forgot! I have something here for you." She pulled out a strange looking box-like object with two thin silicone hoses protruding from either end. "It's a present from Lord Ratatosk." She grinned as she handed it to Emil. "He thought you two could use it while pursuing your 'unusual' interests. It's not _directly_ related to your particular 'fetish', but he had a hunch you'd enjoy it anyway."

"But, uh... what _is_ it?" Emil cocked an eyebrow as he turned the object over and over in his hands, discovering nothing useful other than an on-off switch, a battery chamber, and a brand name.

"It's an automatic pump." Aqua replied informatively. "It's a battery operated, high pressure pump. Typically, it's used to circulate water in large aquariums and to fill and drain them, but... Well, Lord Ratatosk figured you'd come up with a more innovative way to use it." Emil thought for a moment before a terrible, awful, lecherous, _wonderful_ idea came to mind.

"I'm going to need water... lots and lots of water..."

*~*~*~*

Richter was vaguely aware that something was amiss when he finally stirred to wakefulness. It took him a moment to realize the cause of these feelings. The lack of Emil leaning against him in tandem with the lack of breakfast scents was not something he was used to. He opened his eyes and glanced around, feeling more than a little concerned when he failed to locate Emil. He tried to sit up but found that his arms were bound together by a length of rope that stretched around the trunk of a tree. It was about then that he began to panic, but before he could call out for his absent mate, a familiar pair of green eyes met up with his. They were bloodshot and were beginning to show off those tell-tale bags that indicated sleeplessness; they were Emil's eyes, though much less comforting now that they were so exhausted, not to mention Richter was in such an inexplicably vulnerable position.

"Ah, you're finally up. Good!" The word "finally" was another tip that Emil had not slept well (or at all) last night. He was about to ask what was going on and why Emil hadn't slept, but as he opened his mouth, a tube was thrust in. "Swallow that, please." Richter really didn't have a choice; the blond's hand pressing against his lips made it more of a command than request since it prevented any objection and encouraged compliance with the way it slowly eased more of the tube into his mouth.

He swallowed, shivering a bit at the way he could feel the tube making it's way all the way down his esophagus. He squirmed a little when he felt the end poke into his stomach, tickling the wall as it continued to creep deeper into his body. Emil finally stopped when he reached a line he had marked on the tube, just as Richter felt said tube rubbing the lining of his belly just beside the pyloric sphincter. "There, that should be deep enough." Emil giggled impishly as his fingers fondled the rest of the tubing, following it down to a little black box. He flicked a small switch and the device started humming. 

Only seconds after, Richter grunted and squirmed, feeling a cold, icy wave surge down his throat and straight into his belly. He shuddered, both from the cold, and the strange new sensation. He looked from the lecherous grin on the blond's face to the little black box in his hands to the tube leading from the box to a barrel. It was then that he pieced together what the blond must have been doing to him, but he couldn't help but ask: "Emil, what exactly are you doing?" 

"Well, I didn't exactly get any sleep last night, so I'm going to remedy that..." 

"By pumping me full of...?!" Richter looked to the barrel again, but found no label. "Uh, what _are_ you pumping me full of?" 

"Water, mostly."

Richter's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets and he strained against the ropes binding him with all his strength. "Are you insane?!" Richter bellowed as Emil held the tube in place, ensuring that Richter could not spit it out, giggling almost evilly as he did.

"No more than usual..." Emil fastened the tube in place with a piece of tape, but avoided covering Richter's mouth. This of course allowed the redhead to continue his panicked rant which was nothing short of justified.

"Haven't you ever heard of water intoxication?! I could _die_! Let me go this instant, Emil!" 

The younger male rolled his eyes and pulled an index card out of his pocket with a recipe which read thus:

Electrolyte Beverage

Measure all ingredients precisely. Small variations can make the drink less effective or even harmful. Mix the following:  
• 1 quart (950 mL) water  
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda  
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) table salt  
• ¼ teaspoon (1.25 g) salt substitute (potassium-based), such as Lite Salt or Morton Salt Substitute  
• 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar  
The half-elf read it and slumped back, letting out a relieved sigh. "Thank the Goddess... For a moment I thought you'd really lost your mind..."

"I said it was _mostly_ water, didn't I?" Emil giggled. "Not _completely_ water."

"No, you said it was 'water, mostly'. You little jerk. If you _ever_ scare me like that again, I will strangle you within an inch of your life." The tube was not exactly comfortable to have in his throat, and made speaking difficult, but Richter was slowly getting used to it. "You followed the recipe exactly, right?"

"To the letter." Emil confirmed. "Let me know when you start to feel uncomfortable." Emil smiled as he sat beside his partner, watching as his mate's stomach slowly began to expand. 

"Okay. I'm uncomfortable _now_..." Richter scoffed.

"Well, that's a shame, then, because I'm not stopping until your belly is at least as big as it is when I'm in it."

Richter grunted, wondering exactly what possessed his normally timid, gentle partner to try his hand at torture. Still, at least the boy was smart enough to know how not to kill him, and sane enough to exercise that restraint. Really, a little insomnia was responsible for this? Richter couldn't believe it.

There wasn't really much he could do in his current position, so Richter made the best of things and tried to enjoy whatever twisted game this was. He had to admit, though, that it did feel kind of nice. His belly was gradually growing, and the cool rush of water swirled around inside him. Moment by moment, he could see his midriff getting larger and larger. It was soon straining against his shirt, and Emil shivered with delight at the sight of it.

"Let me get that for you..." he hummed, starting to undo the buttons. When the whole shirt was undone, Emil ran his fingers ever-so-lightly over his partner's dark skin. He leaned in closer, flushed cheeks nearing the steadily rising mound of flesh. He pressed his lips to that warm, tan, paunch and kissed it lovingly. Richter gave a sudden jerk at this sensation, not quite able to see what Emil was doing, but able to infer it from the sensory information.

Emil laughed quietly to himself, parting his lips and letting his tongue run along his mate's skin. Richter's breath was becoming ragged now, and despite his best efforts, he was becoming quite aroused. Emil kissed and licked his way down along the rippling surface of Richter's growing tummy and paused just as he reached the man's bellybutton. He grinned slyly, placing his lip over it, teasingly. His tongue traced the rim, and Richter shivered, not quite stifling a moan that made Emil's grin widen. Emil pressed his tongue into the shallow depression, working at it the same way he would if he were kissing Richter on the lips.

The half-elf, meanwhile, was completely overwhelmed by this, and the erection he had been trying to hold back took this as an opportunity to arise. Richter tried to turn and get the boy off of him, away from that sensitive area, but the blond held him still, continuing to suck and lick at his navel, aware that he had achieved his goal, and gleefully preparing himself.

Richter's pants, in the meantime, had just about stretched to their limit, and Emil unfastened them and took them off entirely, much to Richter's embarrassment. Emil put his affectionate mouth to use again, this time on Richter's; it felt different now with the tube in his way, but Emil took this new obstacle like a pro, still managing to be as effective with his tongue as he was without the obstruction in his mate's mouth. The half-elf, though confused and distressed and flustered, kissed back, unable to resist his mate's tender affections.

As Emil kissed his redheaded mate, he undid his own pants, shedding them to reveal an eager member at full attention. One hand went for Richter's gut and the other went lower, thumbing over the head of the half-elf's endowment. Richter whined, pressing up into the sweet, sweet stroking though he did not want to. His body wanted it, but he himself did not; at least, not until he understood why all of this was happening. Emil had never been so aggressive before, not in any way, shape, or form. This was unprecedented assertiveness and Richter was not at all prepared for it. Part of him _liked_ this new side of Emil; he had always encouraged the boy to be braver, stronger, more outgoing and adventurous in all sorts of endeavors, and he liked that the boy had found a new way to express this courage. But this sort of change was just too abrupt, there was no conceivable cause for this sudden change in behavior, and that made Richter uncomfortable. Really, he wouldn't have minded any of this at all if it wasn't for the almost crazed look in Emil's eyes, the unexplained acquisition of accoutrements for this sort of foreplay, and the unannounced springing of this sex trap; if Emil had asked to do this earlier, or demanded, or even _mentioned_ wanting to do this beforehand, Richter would have agreed.

The half-elf might have actually enjoyed all this touching and rubbing and bloating and kissing if he didn't feel so out of the loop. He had so many unanswered questions that his mind kept resisting that urge to just indulge himself and enjoy that hand on his crotch and forced him to seek reassurance, asking for answers between kisses and gasps.

"Emil... Ahhh... W-Why are you... d-doing... this?"

"I have a little theory I'm testing." Emil grinned. The way he said those words and the way he wore that playful smile, he almost made Richter address him as Aster with the next question.

"A-Ahhh... Ooooooooh... W-What theory?" Richter was finding it harder to talk with the endless stroking of various regions dragging his attention away from his concerns again and again.

"If I tell you, it ruins the point of this test, silly." Emil snuggled against the still-growing belly, delighting in the way it squished out in all directions with such little pressure. "I'll be happy to tell you after I succeed, though. So don't worry too much. I promise everything will be explained soon."

Emil released his grip on the man's privates, amused by the quiet moan of displeasure the half-elf made as his fingers left the shaft. "I know this next part takes a while, so I guess it's best to start now." Emil stood over Richter, straddling the redhead, getting slowly to his knees. He brought his hips down very gently, pausing as Richter's manhood rubbed against his entrance. He relaxed as much as he could, making sure he didn't go too fast as he began to ease that firm, thick length inside of him. Richter tried to push up into Emil, still not entirely able to control his reflexes and instincts, all of which were going against his logic and just going after that wonderful orgasm that they expected at the end of this little "adventure". However, Emil had sensed this coming, and Richter found himself unable to move; the boy held his hips firmly in place, and despite Richter's best efforts, he could not remove himself from the boy's grip.

"Who's too over-eager, _now_ , Richter?" Emil giggled lustily.

"Dammit, Emil..." Richter chuckled back, still unable to control the way his hips tried to press up into Emil's. "You're making this ridiculously slow just to punish me, aren't you, you little sadist?"

"I'm not." A dark grin flickered across Emil's face as he spoke. "This is the speed we've always gone." Emil winked, letting Richter know that he had hit his mark: he _was_ going extra slow to tease him.

"You... _You_..." Richter searched for an appropriate word, but had difficulty thinking; Emil's agonizingly slow descent made coherent thought difficult.

"Now, now, be nice. I thought you liked morning sex."

"I do." Richter muttered. "I also like... my partner to be _sane_..."

"Then you should have married a different partner!" Emil giggled, running one finger down along the length of Richter's swollen belly. It was quite large now, and Richter's attempts at thrusts were getting weaker. Emil liked the way it all looked from this angle, but it was more difficult to take in the whole belly, and certainly not a good enough angle to judge it's size accurately. 

"Ooh... You've gotten _big_ , haven't you?" Emil smirked, rubbing the water-filled bulge with a certain pride. "Mirror, please." Emil gestured toward a small grove of thick trees, a little off to the side of the clearing they had set up camp in. Richter looked in that direction and was both embarrassed and frustrated when Aqua appeared, dragging a vanity mirror behind her.

"Aqua..." Richter sighed. "Now I know how Emil got all this together so quickly... I suppose _you_ provided all this equipment, then." He gestured to the pump and barrel. 

"Well, not me directly... I brought it here, but the pump was a gift from Lord Ratatosk..." Aqua blushed as she kept peeking around the mirror to steal glimpses of the half-elf's member as it disappeared into Emil's body. "The barrel was from a tavern in Sybak, and the ingredients as well as the recipe for the electrolyte drink are from an old friend of yours at the Academy." Richter knew immediately that it was Avery she was referring to. Damn him. He was the kind of guy who seemed to favor the most "fun" solutions, not the most practical, and he had a poor habit of making... well, bad decisions. He was a bit of a party animal and it was he who first introduced Richter to the wonders of alcohol. They had gotten into some trouble together back at the Academy, most of it was Avery's fault, but on occasion, it was Richter's (though, plainly speaking, it was _all_ the result of ideas concocted while inebriated, so we might say that it was all initially caused by alcohol.) It was no wonder, then, that his old friend would be enabling this kind of behavior. 

"And the mirror?" Richter inquired, now examining his surprising girth in its reflection.

"Found it in the garbage as I was leaving town. I thought it might come in handy... I guess I was right."

Richter was curious as to why a seemingly flawless, functional mirror would be in the trash when he noticed the few cracks in the corners, tape, and oh-so-obvious splinters of wood at the bottom where it had likely been snapped off of a bedside table. What he noticed more than anything, however, was how huge he had become. Emil noticed too, and they each caught each other admiring Richter's new, rounder reflection. 

"Mmmm... You're sexy when you're big..." Emil purred, comparing his currently hunched-over figure to the size of his mate's stomach. 

"Am I, really?" 

"Yeah, you are..." Emil was pleased to see that Richter had grown considerably, much larger than he had ever seen the older male before. Judging from the reflection, Emil figured Richter 's stomach was about as big as it would be with him inside of it, maybe a bit bigger. "How do you feel, hmm?" He sighed, releasing Richter's hips entirely and placing both hands on that soft, warm mass that was spreading in every direction. "Feel good? Like when I'm in there?"

"Not exactly..." Richter mumbled, shifting a little to get a better view of himself in the mirror. "It feels just as good, but not the same way..." 

"You think you're about as big as when I'm inside you, yet?" Emil cooed, rubbing the redhead's belly upward, outward, down, around, delighting in the way it shifted and morphed so easily at the slightest touch. 

"Bigger, I think." Richter muttered, trying to remember exactly how it felt and looked with Emil inside him, but every time he tried to make the comparison, all he could think was how they both just felt amazing. Richter glanced from his stomach to it's reflection, then back to Emil, trying to get a good estimate, but it didn't help. He could only continue to guess. "I really don't know... we should take measurements or something..."

"We will." Emil nodded. "I know exactly how much was in that barrel when we started. When we're done, I'll know the exact volume. I was just asking if you could tell. I don't need to know exactly..." Emil leaned in again, wrapping his arms around what he could manage of his partner's squishy belly and giving it an awkward sort of hug. "I just want this to feel good... for both of us..."

Richter grunted to indicate that he understood, closing his eyes and relaxing. He felt bigger than he ever had before, but it felt... well, pleasant. It felt _good_ to be this full, and he still felt like there was plenty of room left somehow... He wasn't exactly sure of his actual capacity. He knew when his stomach was "naturally" full - the kind of fullness he got from a regular meal, no bloating or bulging, but a satisfying fullness all the same. The next unit mark for him was a "feast" fullness - the kind of stuffed feeling he got whenever Emil went through the trouble of preparing a plentiful bounty of delicious food all for him and he indulged without hesitation. This was the kind of fullness that he was more accustomed to now that he traveled with Emil; the boy looked for any excuse to spoil him, and more often than not, it was with food. Finally, there was that "Emil" fullness - obviously, the kind of engorged feeling he got whenever either he or Emil wanted that special closeness, that was the fullest he had ever felt. Physically, he was stretched to inebriating size, more than he ever thought he'd want inside him, but not exactly "over-full" either... more like "over-indulged"; he felt spoiled to be allowed to eat his mate, and Emil knew this as well, both from first-hand experience and Richter's occasional gratitude speech for not minding how often he ate Emil compared to how infrequently Emil ate Richter. And, of course, there was the emotional aspect of it, too. Being so close with his little, human partner filled Richter with a warm, peaceful feeling. It was a mixture of romantic and passionate love, all in a wonderful wrapping of satisfaction. Eating Emil fulfilled most (if not all) of his needs.

He had never really eaten more than that (excluding a few cases when he did consume Emil along with a small meal, but it was hardly a significant difference in his stomach, and certainly not worth a separate term of description...) After eating Emil, Richter had never really felt the desire to push things farther, see how far he could stretch himself, test how much he really could hold. But now, that prior anxiety was fading, giving in to the more instinctual drive to learn, discover, test... He wanted to know, now. He wanted to have as much inside him as possible and see just how good (or bad, as the case might be...) it felt. With Emil in control, he could accomplish this. Normally, he would have stopped at one of the prior three stages, taking that familiar pleasure as a signal to stop. Now, no matter how pleasant it got, he was not the one with the switch in his hand, he couldn't just stop whenever he thought he was done. He had to wait and see. 

True, this meant he had to put all his trust in his questionably sane partner, had to trust that when he said stop that the blond would do so. And yet, despite the boy's behavior, he trusted him. It was just so easy to trust Emil, now, after all they had been through together. Richter didn't think Emil had it in him to do anything that would hurt him, no matter how sleep deprived and over-sexed he might get. And besides, once Emil had gotten the whole process going, and once he himself had calmed down, Emil also seemed to relax. That look had left his eyes, and though they were still exhausted and bloodshot, that gentle gaze had taken control again. Richter still wasn't sure what instinct had gripped the boy to make him act so strangely before, but he had a better idea now. It was likely some combination of determination, lust, and drive-reduction motivating him that made him so anxious. Richter felt a little inadequate, wondering what need he had failed to satisfy in the boy that would make him react so strongly. It was either a large need that he had failed to meet or a need that had gone unsatisfied for far too long. But, Richter was comforted by the idea that whatever this need was, Emil was satisfying it now; and so far, it managed to be pleasant for him too. 

If Emil needed this every so often, Richter was happy to indulge this little habit, too. The boy never really asked for much, and when he did ask for things, it was always something small, or something that needn't have been asked for at all. And more often than not, it was something Richter was more than happy to do or get for his mate. His greatest pleasure in life was making Emil happy. Of course, he did like to be pampered, and the affectionate way that Emil tended to him whether or not he needed or asked for it was always a welcome pleasure in his life. But he could live without all that, he was used to living simply, used to living without luxuries, even necessities at times, the only real "benefit" that came out of his nearly life-long persecution. He could have lived like a dog, hated and beaten, just as long as he knew Emil loved him... As long as he felt needed, he didn't care about anything else. That had become his purpose, his reason to live. It was a grand thing, to be needed, wanted, to have that power to make someone happy, to provide what was desired. Sure, every now and again, he got caught up in "selfish" urges and indulging himself, but every sane person will. Only a masochist would ignore pleasure, avoid gratification, forbid themselves from taking an opportunity to be happy with no other cost or consequence. But damn it all, that was the beautiful paradox of it all, he did everything he could to make Emil happy because it made him happy, too; and he let Emil do whatever he wanted or needed to make him happy because he knew Emil had that same sort of complex, wanting to please him because it gave him pleasure as well. In one way, it was entirely selfless, yet at the same time, it was selfish. 

What could be more perfect than that? A relationship built off of that kind of desire. They would never need to feel like they were sacrificing, because they were doing it all for their own pleasure, but they never felt hedonistic, either, feeling a motivation just as strong to please the other partner. But, Richter did feel a slight uneasiness. He was happy, but Emil... He had always known the boy had that complex, lack of self respect, overly-submissive, shy. He was familiar with that same set of feelings himself, from an earlier time in his life. Aster had saved him from that, given him that dose of courage and self-love he had needed to make himself a better person, the man he was today. He wanted Emil to have that, for both their sakes. The relationship was a good one, but if Emil didn't learn to love himself, he was never going to be truly happy, and that, in effect, would inhibit Richter's ability to be truly happy.

It started to dawn on Richter that this all might be a result of that experience last night, and he slowly began to form his own idea of just what Emil's little experiment was. The boy had seemed so eager to try something new, so gratified to be allowed to indulge this desire, but had seemed sad, even dejected when Richter had taken over. Of course, at the time, Richter thought that was the best course of action, he thought Emil wasn't quite getting the friction and pressure in all the right places, and he felt a little selfish and useless just lying there, "forcing" Emil to do all the work. But looking at it now, he might have done precisely the wrong thing by taking over. Richter began to see that what Emil had intended was to take a turn at being in control, one _he_ initiated, one _he_ planned, one _he_ wanted. And Richter had essentially denied him that right, sent him that unspoken message that he was somehow wrong to ask for that privilege, that he wasn't fit to be in control. He didn't recognize the boy was trying to express some autonomy at the time, and now that he had come to this conclusion, the boy's behavior made perfect sense.

This "experiment" was to prove to himself that he _was_ good enough, that he did have the ability to provide just as much pleasure, that he could be dominant; and, by doing this, to prove it to Richter as well. Richter instinctively wanted to apologize to his mate for not noticing this before, but restrained himself. He knew that Emil had to feel in control the whole way through this. That was what had worked for him... When Aster had enabled him to feel like he was in complete control, he had been able to let go of all those feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing. He was able to break out of that shell and embrace those warm feelings, able to meet Aster in an embrace as an equal. and from then on, it had gone wonderfully. This is what he had to do for Emil, now, and it made him feel even more important, more loved than ever. Emil wanted to be good enough for him, even though he had always been perfect in the half-elf's eyes. Richter was happy that, even after all the time they had spent together, he was still discovering more and more things to love about Emil. 

And all of this epiphany took place in about the span of three seconds... It was all the motivation Richter needed to let go of thought, let go of logic, let go of inhibitions, and give Emil what he wanted, what he _needed_...

"Emiiiiiil...." Richter groaned, letting the sounds come out however they wanted, forgetting everything, even Aqua, who was still watching all too eagerly from the sidelines. 

The blond shuddered at the sound, never having heard such a tone before. It was different from Richter's usual moans of pure pleasure - there was pain mixed into this new moan, lust, and what almost sounded like anger all merged together with the usual amount of bliss. It was encouraging. Emil liked the way his name sounded running from those thin, drawn lips. He swiveled his hips, knowing he was nearing the last inch or so left of Richter's length, rewarding that beautiful moan with a little more friction, wanting to hear it again. He felt the redhead quake beneath him, trying to lift his hips and push up into him, but he was no longer able... Too heavy, too full, and that was exactly what Emil wanted.

"Nnnnhhhh..." A mix between a sigh and moan eschewed from Richter's chest, leaving from the nostrils, teeth pressing into the man's wet lip, the lower of the pair that were so tempting from here, but just out of reach now, with his belly in the way. Emil smiled, and signaled to Aqua. 

"He should be full enough now... You can cut him loose. I doubt he could do too much with those hands as he is..." Aqua did as she was told, taking her sweet time, indulging that urge to touch Richter's skin, press herself against it. And a part of Richter liked that. He had never really loved Aqua - mostly because she was just too clingy and demanding and obsessive and jealous - but he didn't hate her either. If it weren't for those select personality traits, he might have found her attractive. But he had Emil, now, and Aqua had never shown any signs of changing her ways... Any arousal he might have experienced by the way she releases his wrists with that delicate, almost feather-light touch and water-like friction were transferred over to his increasing arousal for Emil and the way _he_ was touching him. 

When his hands were unbound, Richter put them to immediate use, massaging the now enormous bulge of his waistline. He ached with fullness, but it was still so unbelievably good to feel himself stretching. When he held his hands in place against his taught skin, he could feel it tugging in all directions, a pleasant friction that felt like a balloon slowly inflating, but it was a part of his body, and that made it all the more enjoyable. Emil found that he liked this new posture on his mate; those squared fingers dragging along a taught bulge, slowly curving, circling, that almost dazed look on his face, hair draped in rippling waves over the uneven ground. He was so enjoying the spectacle, he nearly forgot that Richter was all but entirely inside him. A deep moan and a shudder reminded him of this, and an expression of contentment instantly washed over his face.

"Ah... Now for the real fun..." Emil grinned. "We'll want to be alone for this." Aqua understood the unspoken request embedded in that statement and left without protest, leaning the mirror against a nearby tree as she floated away. It dawned on Richter at that moment that this whole time, Aqua had been _present_ during a highly intimate moment with Emil, and he hadn't been all that uncomfortable. That was... awkward... right? It should have been, anyway. Privacy was always a luxury he had enjoyed (and still did), but for some reason, he hadn't been all that bothered by Aqua's presence. Then, an even more startling realization came to Richter: Emil hadn't seemed to mind either.

"E-Emil...?" Richter muttered, trying to sound calm when he spoke, though a bit of red highlighting his cheeks revealed his delayed embarrassment. "W-we just... _canoodled_ in front of Aqua..."

"Well, it took you long enough to realize that..." Emil giggled. "If that bugs you...", Emil lowered his voice to a whisper, "just think about how jealous she must be that _I'm_ the one who gets to canoodle with you..."

Richter's expression was something like an embarrassed smile, but this thought did make him feel a bit better. A small part of him was sort of flattered that he had two persons so infatuated with him. He had never really thought he would ever be loved, never given any serious consideration to courting and marriage, and yet, here he was, married to his beloved Emil, and still beloved by Centurion Aqua. It actually took a lot of getting used to, being loved rather than hated, but his preference was obvious. Richter took Emil's advice, feeling proud rather than embarrassed that he was the object of such affection, and was lulled into a blissful void where the world narrowed to only himself, Emil, and that ever-growing bulge of his stomach continuing to expand.

"You ready?" Emil purred, kneading the half-elf's swelling belly as he did.

"Would it stop you if I said 'no'?" Richter teased back, knowing Emil was just flaunting his level of control, dying to hear the redhead moan his name in that almost anguished tone, but resisting even this desire to torture his mate with that too, too slow way he shifted. 

"Not really... I'd just ride you until you screamed 'yes'." Emil winked. He slowly pulled back, enjoying the way Richter's hard length slid almost too easily out of him. The half-elf let out something like a whine, but it was suppressed enough that Emil could only hear the last bit of it, the moment when that whine turned into the most beautiful sound. 

"Fuuuuuck..." That was exactly what Emil wanted to hear. Normally, he abhorred the use of obscenities; finding them unnecessary to communication, and more offensive than any situation would warrant, but coming from Richter, with that deep, velvety voice, it was like poetry. Emil almost blew it right then and there, but he stopped himself, cringing as the heat surging through him came to an abrupt - nearly painful - halt. He held that position, trembling, as the bubble of pure, hot, passion that engulfed his gut and male appendage seeped back into his body, delaying the inevitable grand finale until Emil wanted it. 

The boy took a deep breath, steadying himself, controlling himself, as he pushed back, grinding down slowly, deliberately, messing around with the angle until Richter let out a sharp gasp. The blond smirked, delighted that he had found the right angle at last. Then, he stopped, folding his arms very matter-of-factly under his chin as he lay against Richter's belly, wicked grin on his face.

"Mmmmmmm..." A long, drawn out, lust muddled hum was all that Emil provided, and it was unbearable to Richter.

The noises Emil made were irresistible, tantalizing little mewls and moans that tugged every muscle and triggered every nerve in his body to pound into that little body like there was no tomorrow. But he was trapped under the weight of his alarmingly massive stomach, now, and he couldn't so much as move one leg even an inch. Richter released a mewl of his own, an almost pitiful whimper, wanting more, _needing_ more, and loathing the way his mate cruelly withheld any form of movement that would scratch this "itch" of his. 

"Damn it... _Move!_ " Richter demanded, though it was far too cute and helpless to be a true demand; the way the redhead whined and trembled, the imperative was more like begging than anything else.

"Move? How?" Emil taunted, drumming his fingers on the drum-tight surface of Richter's distended stomach. 

"Emiiiiiiiiiiiiil!" Richter damn-near-cried in exasperation, wondering why his normally docile partner had to punish him with sex... or rather, lack thereof, with the horridly clever added measure of arousing him so effectively before denying him that sweet release. 

"Whaaaaaat?" Emil mocked him with a sing-song-y tone that harmonized almost perfectly with his wail. 

"Please," Richter winced as Emil's body tensed around him, sending a spike of pure ecstasy through the prior stagnant bliss, "m-move... I-I need... hnnnngh..." Richter clenched his eyes shut, unable to withstand another sudden jolt of pleasure as Emil shifted his weight ever-so-slightly.

"What? You need... _this_?" Emil chuckled softly as he thrust against his partner, earning a gasp and some garbled sound of intense pleasure. 

"Y-yessssssss..." Richter breathed, bursts of color flashing like a photo filter before his eyes as he looked into those absurdly green eyes. 

That little bit of Emil that still felt inadequate, the part of him that had demanded this whole thing, the piece of his mind that needed soothing, was melting away now, taking with it that "cruel" streak, the quiet urge that had made Emil withhold his affections and movements in order to satisfy his ego. _Richter wants this... says he_ needs _this. So... he needs_ me _..._ Emil's smile softened to the familiar, gentle glowing smile that Richter was used to, and the boy slowly settled into a steady, even rhythm, the tempo marked by moans and grunts that the redhead made in response to each wave of bliss. 

Part of Richter had completely forgotten that he was currently being pumped full of liquid, but a seemingly separate piece of his brain was entirely engrossed in this fact, adding to the sexual pleasure with the all-too-pleasant way his gut continued to swell, so taught and full it was almost painful, but not quite yet. The half-elf gasped and groaned with every thrust the blond on top of him was administering, still impressed by the way the boy's body was able to take this abuse day after day and never show signs of wear; the depths of the teen's ass were still as tight and hot as the first time he ever accepted the man's girth. 

Emil began moaning too, letting go of any previous anxieties and doubts he had been clinging to, losing himself in the throws of passion with his lover. He ran his fingers over Richter's paunch, finding that, though it was incredibly taught, it still responded with amazing elasticity, stretching even further to absorb the pressure he applied from the outside as Emil leaned more weight against it, pushing himself up to prepare for yet another thrust. Emil could hardly see Richter's face over the bulge anymore, and he certainly couldn't wrap his arms around it. While a part of him missed being able to see those exquisite eyes glazed over with pleasure and those soft, moist lips moaning his name, Emil was much more enthralled by the amazing volume of his mate's stomach. 

It was just so _big_... Emil took a glance at the mirror and then to the barrel he had used as a reservoir; he was fairly sure that most of it's contents were now in Richter's belly. A nagging bit in the back of his mind reminded him that, though Richter seemed to enjoy it, the older male had his limits, and he might very well be trying to voice them through all those moans. "So, Richter...", the blond cooed to his partner, "How do you feel? Not... _uncomfortable_ yet?"

Richter let out something of a purr as he responded. "Oh, on the contrary... I'm quite comfortable..." The half-elf ran his hands along what little of his belly he could still reach, taking a sidelong glance at his reflection and smiling. "Damn... I really _have_ gotten big..."

"Yeah, that barrel's probably almost empty." Emil sighed, proud that Richter seemed to be enjoying this now. "50 gallons..." Emil mumbled dreamily, massaging his mate's midriff and thrusting his hips against the redhead's plump bulge. Emil loved the friction that created; the way his length slid along the older male's belly was almost as pleasant as the way the half-elf's length slid so easily in and out of his body. Emil was just about to finish up with one last round of thrusting in wild abandon when a most beautiful sound reached his ears.

 _Bloop..._ Emil froze. _Blurp-gurgle-bubble-glup_ The blond stared down, blush darkening his face as his brain registered what that sound was. "We finished the barrel." Emil grinned at Richter, unable to suppress a giggle of delight as his partner's belly continued to fill, bubbling and sloshing as air forced its way in through the water-electrolyte drink. Emil went wild over that, and he began humping spastically, throwing his head back as Richter moaned his name. Kinetic energy sent the contents of Richter's stomach into a churning, frothing sea of pleasure, and the sound of its waves spurred Emil on, losing all control. 

This sort of thing was not unusual; since Richter and Emil often had sex after Richter had gorged on large meals, it was quite common to have this muffled sloshing as a background track to their lovemaking. But it was larger-scale, now; louder, fiercer, and, most importantly, Richter had never moaned over it quite like this before...

The man's voice reached octaves and volumes Emil didn't know were possible, and _growls_ among other bestial sounds were intermingled with every whine and wail, every utterance of his name. Emil moved faster, thrusting harder, nearing the peak as his mate's voice called out in the most pained, ecstatic, beautiful way.

"Emil...", he mewled, eye's blank with overwhelming bliss, "I love you..." Tears welled up in the half-elf's eyes as the most wonderful, potent, wrenching, euphoric orgasm swept through him. Every muscle tensed, his body lurched, needles of fire and ice lancing through every sensitive point in his body. A howl of absolute pleasure subsided into a guttural moan of satisfaction as the last of his release surged out of him and into Emil.

When the words "I love you" left his partner's lips, Emil knew it was over. That heat was coursing through him again, and he knew he couldn't control it. He was convulsing, feeling every nerve set alight with pleasure, aching for release but wanting this moment to last forever. But, as he felt that hot, sticky fluid seep into him, heard his mate moan as he emptied himself into Emil, the blond could do nothing but give himself up as well. A gush of that same milky fluid splashed out against the heaving bulge of the redhead's distended midriff, and Emil collapsed against the half-elf as a mixture of their fluids ran together down the curve of his inner thigh. Their breaths were ragged and their hearts beat so quickly that the rhythm was indistinguishable. 

Richter was the first to regain his breath, and thus the first to speak. His voice was hoarse, as though he had forgotten how to use it for anything other than screaming "Emil". "That. Felt. So. Good." He enunciated, deliberate and articulate, as though the words needed to be said just so in order to maintain their meaning. 

"Mmmm... I'm glad." Emil whispered back, sliding himself off of the other's member and over the mound of his partner's belly for some quality cuddling. He stretched himself out, naked and messed, over the warm, conforming, soft, squishy pudge and met with the half-elf's gaze for the first time in a long while. One hand wandered along the half-elf's chest and into the fine strands, twirling the rosy-red strands round his fingers with a love-drunk smirk. His other hand was quite preoccupied with rubbing little circles on the little bit of belly nearest his face. 

"So...", Richter muttered, draping his arms over the blond as best he could, "How'd your 'experiment' go?"

"Oh, that..." Emil giggled, rolling onto his back and looking 'up' rather awkwardly at his mate. "Success."

"And?"

"'And', _what_?" Emil somehow managed to cock his head, despite the awkward position.

"You said you'd explain when you succeeded. So, what was this 'theory' you were testing?" Richter could barely suppress a grin as he brushed strands of the youth's golden hair out of his eyes.

"From the looks of it, you already know..." the teen's brow furrowed a bit.

Richter shrugged. "Well, I could be wrong, so explain anyway."

Emil turned over again, looking at Richter from the corners of his eyes as his face began to heat up. "I-I kind of wanted to... well... t-test myself. I wanted to know that... that I could please you. I wanted to be sure that I could be... useful."

"You _are_ useful, Emil. And in far more ways than just sexually."

"I... I know, but... I just... I needed to assure myself that I wasn't just a... _receptacle_ for your... "

"What?! You mean to tell me that you felt like you were acting as my alternative to masturbation?!" Richter balked. "Emil, you do things to me that my hands could _never_ do." Richter caressed the boy's flushed cheeks and began to elaborate. "You fill every void imaginable. You are the only person that knows exactly where to touch me, inside and out, the only one who knows how I like my coffee, the sole person to show me such kindness and patience, disregarding the most horrible things I've done, the only person I can talk to freely, the only one who understands me, the only person who knows about my powers... You make my life worth living. And on top of all that... " Richter pulled the boy's face close and breathed into his slightly flushed ears. "You're _magnificent_ in bed..."

Emil turned a shade of red almost identical to Richter's hair. "R-really?"

"Really. I think we even managed to outdo our first time." Richter turned Emil's face toward his own and planted a tender kiss on the blond's soft lips. "I'm sorry I took over last night. I hate to think I missed out on something this great..."

"No, it's alright." Emil shook his head. "You just wanted to make sure I was having a good time of it, too. And I'm glad for that. I'm really glad that you're always doing your best for me... So, from now on, I'm going to do my best for you, too, okay?" Emil blushed, running his hands over the still-inflating mass of his mate's swollen belly. 

"When have you ever done anything less?" Richter winked. They spent several more minutes like that - Emil laying on the redhead's soft, plump gut, massaging it as it expanded and delighting in the way it bubbled and sloshed, Richter making small talk with his little blond mate, enjoying the attention and affection and the ever-so-gentle way the boy pressed his form into his rounded belly.

The sun was continuing it's path across a deep, blue sky, casting warm, mote-filled rays through the tree-boughs and leaves. It had been almost an hour since this whole thing started, and Richter could tell that it was slowly easing from morning to around noontime. However, rather than waking Emil up from his drowsy, sleep-deprived state, these common daytime stimuli had the opposite effect on his circadian rhythm. The warmth seeping into him from his mate's warm body and the solar rays made him so relaxed and tranquil and _sleepy_. Finally. 

The younger male let out a loud yawn, slipping lazily off his partner to clothe himself again. He slipped back into his boxers, fumbled drowsily with the fastenings on his pants, finally giving up on them and trudging back over to his mate with a rag and a blanket. He wiped up the mess he had made on the half-elf's midriff, enjoying the way that even the slightest rub caused the contents of his mate's belly to slosh audibly. He cast the now-soiled rag aside and tugged the man's boxers back on.

"Need anything while I'm up?" Emil mumbled, getting sleepier and sleepier by the second. 

"There's a book in the outermost pocket of my bag... could you get that for me?" Richter replied. He could tell by the way the little human's eyelids covered more and more of those bright green eyes that the boy wasn't going to be awake much longer, and certainly wouldn't be waking up anytime soon after. 

"This one?" Emil held the book up by the spine, showing off the golden lettering on the cover, written in the old elven tongue. 

"Yes, that's the one." The redhead nodded. Emil handed him the book as he clambered on top of what was becoming an absurdly large lump in the half-elf's stomach. Richter smiled and assisted the human as best he could, sucking in his stomach and trying not to move. Emil eventually found a stable position toward the center of the tan bulge, where the air packed inside spread around him and he could lay directly against the warm water beneath it.

The teen took another admiring look in the mirror, smiling as he could barely see himself nestled in what looked like a second giant bellybutton on his mate's pronounced gut. He seemed so small compared to the mass, now, and was almost certain that he could fit three of himself in that space, if not more. "Mmmmm, you got so big Richter..." Emil whispered dreamily, nuzzling into his lover's tanned skin as he wrapped the blanket around himself.

"Indeed, I have..." Richter smirked as he admired his reflection as well. "I could probably fit four of you in there right now... No, more like three and a midget." Richter let out one of those snorts of suppressed laughter and proceeded to stroke the portion of his girth that he could still reach, enjoying the way the little waves and bubbles he caused seemed to please Emil. 

"I wish there were four of me to fill you with!" Emil giggled, giving the air filled portion of the half-elf's gut a few pats, delighting in the way that hollow sound echoed back to him. "You're so amazing, Richter... I can't believe you're not in pain by now... You're just so... _big_..."

Richter chuckled at that statement. "You've said that already." Richter couldn't resist the urge to take a turn at teasing the boy after having been teased almost constantly since last night. "Is that all I am to you? A stomach for you to play with and use for your own amusement?"

"And a penis." Emil grinned stupidly.

Richter could not contain his laughter. "Touché. You've been getting wittier... I like that. Courage has certainly helped your personality."

"That's not courage, that's sleep-deprivation barring me from filtering my comments...", the boy yawned. 

"I see." Richter chuckled back. He stroked the blond hair out of his mate's eyes, smiling as the green irises slowly eclipsed behind the boy's eyelids. "So, I guess this means no breakfast, huh?" The half-elf teased, not really all that disappointed that he would likely be waiting until at least dinner time for his first meal that day.

The blond turned over, tilting his head up a bit to make brief eye-contact with his mate. "Sorry...", he muttered with genuine remorse. "I should have thought to feed you first."

"It's quite alright." Richter assured the blond. "I won't starve within a day. I was just a little disappointed that I have to miss out on your delicious cooking today."

"Oh, it won't be all day." Emil curled himself into a little ball and snuggled the hand that had been petting his hair. "You can wake me at dusk if I'm not up already, and I'll cook you a nice, big dinner; whatever you want, okay? That's a promise."

"Mmmm... Something to look forward to." Richter grinned and Emil returned the smile. Richter was about to open his book and let the blond get his much needed, much deserved sleep, when he noticed the not-so-silent ambiance and realized what it was. The pump. He reached back and grabbed the little black box, still humming away, pumping more and more air into his now-tight stomach. "Can I switch this off now, Emil?"

"Hmm? Why? Are you full now?" Emil mumbled, burying his face deeper into the blanket's folds.

"Not entirely, but there's no real point left, is there?" The half-elf shrugged. "I mean, we'll never get an accurate measure now, right? And you're going to be sleeping the rest of the day, not watching. So there's no real reason to keep going." The blond whined defeated, a pout slowly forming on his lips. A derisive smile made it's way onto the redhead's lips in response. "Oh, come on. It's not like we'll never do it again. I'll tell you what, we'll make a stop by Sybak, and I'll do a little more research on these powers, get us a decent estimate of how much I can really hold, and I'll let you stuff me full of anything you want, okay?"

Emil's eyes sprang open and he shot up to stare Richter dead in the face. "Y-You really mean it?!" He beamed excitedly.

Everything in the little human's tone and expression hinted at the fact that he had wanted to do something like that for a long time. Richter couldn't help but be amused by this. "Of course I mean it. When have I ever told you something I don't mean?"

"Well, you used to lie _a lot_." Emil reminded, earning a simper from the half-elf.

"Touché, again." He laughed. "But I do mean it, alright?"

"Good." Emil lay back down on his personal water bed, giving his mate permission to switch off the pump. He removed the little strip of tape and helped the redhead remove the tube from his throat.

With a final sigh, Emil collapsed back down into his little ball of cuteness; Richter could swear he felt the boy purring like a kitten. "Good night, Richter." The boy yawned, pulling the covers up to his eyes.

"Sleep well, Emil." Richter cooed. The boy fell asleep almost instantly. Richter smiled at his mate; the boy really was too darn cute for his own good. He sighed and cracked open his book, finding the page he dog-eared and began reading, moving his lips almost indistinguishably as he reread particularly difficult passages. He was getting a bit rusty; he'd have to look for some more elven texts at the Academy.

Breathing got easier as minutes passed, his diaphragm getting used to shifting all that extra weight. Richter really didn't mind the way Emil's elbow, hip, ankle, and knee all pressed into him as the blond lay curled on his side, nor the way his stomach was somewhat upset that it's usual morning meal was now replaced with an absurd amount of liquid without nearly the same caloric concentration. He was just relieved that Emil was finally happy. 

An hour or so had passed before Richter was struck with a rather inconvenient biological urge - after all, all that liquid had to go _somewhere_. He tried to ignore it as long as possible, not wanting to have to risk waking his exhausted partner just to urinate, but really, he couldn't think of any way around it. He recalled Aster using the phrase "When you gotta go, you gotta go." It had been one of the human's favorite excuses to take frequent brakes from his research, but he never abused it to goof off for longer than five minutes at a time. Really, the boy had an attention span of a goldfish. And the word 'goldfish', of course, reminded Richter of water, and the thought of water reminded him how badly he needed to pee. 

He fidgeted, realizing that even if Emil weren't napping on top of him, he would not be able to "relieve himself". His new, bloated figure made it quite impossible to lift himself up, and just as impossible to reach and unfasten his pants, much less aim or any of the other things that he would need to do "down there" to avoid soiling himself. 

The question still remained: what was he going to do to resolve this dilemma? Unfortunately, waking Emil up seemed his only option. With a frustrated sigh, he dog-eared the page he had been reading and set the book aside, mulling over the most polite method to rouse the boy. However, he never quite got that far.

"Need to pee, huh? I figured as much." That familiar female voice was back again, much to Richter's, well, mixed emotions. He was a little annoyed that Aqua's favorite hobby seemed to be stalking him _again_ , but it was nice to know that a new, though highly embarrassing option had just presented itself; or, more appropriately, _foisted_ itself upon him, since Aqua was already in the process of dragging over the now-empty barrel and pulling down the redhead's underpants.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" The half-elf sighed, contemplating what exactly he had done to earn him the affections of a perverted, obsessive Centurion like her. "Try not to enjoy yourself too much, alright?", he muttered as an almost ethereal hand wrapped itself around his member and aimed the tip toward the large oaken keg. 

"Aw, you really are no fun, you know that?" Aqua deliberately averted her eyes, knowing all too well that the half-elf had some weird complex about not being able to urinate when he thought he was being watched. Of course, it wasn't as though Aqua hadn't stolen a few glimpses before, watching him invisibly during his pit-stops in the woods while they traveled together. A small part of Richter was unconsciously aware of this as well, but that didn't help his privacy issues much. Really, as long as he had the illusion of privacy, he couldn't care less, but voyeurs would always make him uncomfortable, no matter what he might endeavor to do. "Okay, go ahead, then." Aqua prompted. "You're all set."

Richter closed his eyes, trying his best to forget that Aqua was present. He took a few deep, meditative breaths, clearing his mind, before he could finally let go and, well, "go"... it was one of those drawn out, unsatisfying, "drunkard" pisses - the kind that don't so much relieve you as remind you that peeing will be your primary activity of the day. Richter gave a dissatisfied sniff as he submitted to his fate: bladder cramps and perpetual urination all day long. Of course, he _could_ just stall his metabolism and thereby cease the absorption of fluid, but that served little practical purpose and required too much exertion to be worth the little trouble it saved him. Besides, it would be wasteful to just puke it all up later. It was going to come out one way or another, so at the very least, Richter figured he could make use of the electrolytes.

Once the last few dribbles leaked out of him, he gave Aqua an awkward grunt to signal he was finished. She gave it a few shakes to remove the residual dew - looking decidedly un-invested in the process - before she tucked it back into the comfortable confines of the half-elf's boxers.

"Thanks." The redhead looked into Aqua's eyes in a way she almost wanted to describe as "shy", making the expression all the more genuine. 

"You're welcome." She replied. "But, you know, you ought to save your thanks until this is actually over with... considering how much you drank, I'd say you'll be peeing nearly constantly until next Turdas*."

Richter snorted. "Right... _'Drank'_... As if by it was by my own agency that I'm now filled with 50 gallons of electrolyte infused water. Being tied to a tree and inflated to ridiculous proportions was _entirely_ my idea..."

"Gee, for a guy supposedly uninterested in semantics and conversation in general, you sure are nit-picky and obsessive when it comes to speaking correctly..." The Centurion shook her head in dismay. "I wasn't implying that at all. 'Forced to drink', then, since you seem so offended by my verb choice."

"What I'm offended by is your inexplicable ability to get yourself involved in my life. By what authority do you have the right to just waltz back into it and assist my partner in his crazed mission to mount me like a Rheiard in some odd attempt to console his fragile ego by convincing himself that he's important to me?" The redhead muttered. "And don't you _dare_ try to change the subject by trying to insist that my enjoyment of said debauchery was reason enough to get involved and ensure it happened. Tell me honestly, why is it that you just can't get over me? What possible reason do you have to follow me now that I'm a committed man with his own plans and his own needs, none of which involve you?"

Aqua blushed, just now seeing how her affections must seem irrational to anyone besides her. "I just love you. I can't exactly explain it any better than that." The half-elf rolled his eyes, which frustrated Aqua, although she really hadn't expected that answer to be received well, either. But an exemplification might just be convincing for Richter, so she thought one up in a matter of milliseconds. "Look, what would you have done if, after you left the Ginnungagap and decided to be with Emil, you found him with Marta? _Married_ to Marta? Would you still love him?"

"Of course!" Richter growled, not really liking the tangent the blue-haired Centurion seemed to be starting on. "I'd never stop loving him."

"Even if he didn't love you back, right?"

"Duh."

"So even if he was committed to being with Marta the rest of his life, would you still want to be friends with him?"

"Is there a point to this interrogation?!" Richter let out an agitated sigh, wrinkling his nose as a scowl formed on his face.

"Just answer."

"I could say the same to _you_ , worming your way out of my question with obvious statements and hypothetical scenarios about my life without Emil."

" _Answer_." Aqua demanded.

"What do _you_ think?! I'd do everything in my power to stay as close as possible with him! I'd...!" And suddenly, Richter drew a parallel between the hypothetical scenario and Aqua's real feelings. "Oh..."

The female nodded. "See? If the hypothetical married Emil asked, you'd probably have given the same answer I did. There's no better reason to be a part of someone's life than love, whether it's unrequited or mutual. That feeling just doesn't go away. Heck, sometimes it gets stronger in the face of rejection. Wouldn't you just want him more if you couldn't be with him?"

"Like hell... I'd go crazy..." another realization came to his mind, and he cringed. "Like Marta*..." He put his hand to his face, embarrassed and frustrated at both himself and the Centurion who brought this whole realization to mind. "Damn, why am I so similar to people I loathe?"

"Actually, it's because you're similar to them that you find their qualities heinous." Aqua pointed out. "It's because you see those qualities in yourself that you find them easily in others, and because you don't like those qualities in yourself, you find it reproachful for others to possess them." 

"That sounds like something _he_ would say..." Richter said, a far-away look slowly taking over his angry features. 'He', of course, meant Aster, and Aster had been the kind of kook who was into all that deep psychological stuff. "But, I suppose you've made your point - or, rather, _points_ \- then." Richter sighed and looked a bit sad for a moment, thinking about what this realization meant. "So... It's painful for you too, then? The rejection?"

Aqua looked surprised for a moment, since the conversation abruptly reverted from the hypothetical to reality. "Y-yes... a bit, anyway." She failed to hide a blush as she continued. "I mean, we spent two years together. And after suddenly discovering you had feelings for Emil, feelings that obviously outweighed your feelings for me... well, you saw how upset I got, right?" Richter nodded as he recalled the incident in which Aqua summoned a fleet of Tortoises to devour Emil* which, ironically, prompted his first ever experience consuming Emil - an activity he couldn't imagine living without, now - and ushered in the mutual desires between himself and the blond that initiated what would become the wonderful lifestyle they now led. 

"After my little tantrum, I tried to convince myself that you only protected him to fulfill your promise, but, our little discussion afterward made it emphatically clear that you weren't interested in me. Of course, it didn't take much thought after that to figure that you had romantic feelings for Emil. That still made me a bit sad, but once the initial dejection washed over me and passed, I actually found myself quite happy. You found someone who really made you happy, something I had never really been able to do. And when you really love someone, you don't care who they're with, as long as they're happy. Of course, you would prefer that person to be with you instead, but you've come to realize by that point that there's nothing you can do to change it. So you settle for being friends, or acquaintances, or a "stalker", as you call me, to console the part of you that wants to sabotage the current relationship your beloved is in, to keep yourself from going crazy and doing something you'll regret."

"Like siccing a bunch of turtle monster's on your rival?" Richter chuckled.

"Yeeeeaaah..." Aqua looked at what must have been a _very_ interesting twig conveniently located in the exact opposite direction of Richter, obviously doing what she could to avoid eye-contact and hide the darkening shade of her flushed face. "I'm sorry about that, by the way."

"I know." Richter muttered, genuinely acknowledging her apology. "You... really love me, don't you...?" It was a rhetorical question, of course, but cruelly toned to disguise his acceptance or rejection of such a notion. 

"With all my heart."

Richter sighed, closing his eyes for longer than the average blink, opening them to reveal one of the most gentle expressions that Aqua had ever seen the man wear. "Then... I will try to be tolerant of you."

"Y-you mean --?!" Aqua stuttered, before Richter shushed her, obviously displeased by her sudden increase in volume which threatened to wake his sleeping mate. 

"Yes. I mean that I will... attempt to make room for you in my life."

"Oh, thank you, Master Ri--", she was cut off by the redhead again.

"Now, that doesn't mean I'm automatically going to like you, or anything, so don't get any crazy ideas that this suddenly makes us 'friends'. It's just... I sympathize with how you must feel. And I won't outright deny the possibility of this becoming a friendship, but I don't want to give you false hope, either. Let's just take it slow - _very_ slow - and see how this goes, alright?"

Aqua had always dreamed of hearing those words from Richter - granted, in reference to a romantic relationship that did not seem possible anymore - but that made it all the more special to her to hear them now. "'Kay." She beamed at the half-elf. "M-may I hug you?!" She trembled with excitement, and it took all of Richter's commitment to, well, being a committed person, to prevent him from reneging on his offer. 

He sighed and nodded. "Briefly. Gently. _Quietly_."

Aqua barely suppressed a squeal of delight as she darted at him, barely slowing in time to turn what might have been a tackle in other contexts into a "gentle" embrace. She nuzzled into his shoulder, thrilled to finally have the opportunity to ingratiate herself to Richter and prove that she could be the kind of friend and companion he would never want to be without. She was even more gratified when, for a moment, Richter kinda, sorta, hugged back. 

Richter allowed a very liberal, very generous five seconds before he muttered "That will do." He was almost surprised by how promptly and willingly Aqua complied with this hint to release him. 

"Thank you, Master Richter."

Richter looked a bit surprised. "Are you going to thank me for every little thing I do?" Aqua blushed and shrugged. "I wish you wouldn't, it makes me feel like a cheap whore dealing with an inexperienced virgin. This isn't charity, you know? Treating it as such devalues whatever you'd like to call this relationship."

"S-sorry." 

"And don't start doing _that_ either. I already have one person in my life that apologizes needlessly, I don't need a second one to chide. Just settle down and stop being so... so... what ever it is you're being..." Richter blushed, unable to come up with the words.

This, of course, made the Centurion giggle. "You're pretty cute when you're inarticulate."

"And none of _that_! No flirting! For Goddess's sake, do I have to highlight every line you're not supposed to cross, or something?! Would you like a written instruction manual that outlines behaviors I will and will not tolerate?! Because I can write one up right now!"

"Well, _somebody's_ having their 'man-period'." Aqua scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Would you _like_ me to go back to outright hating you? Because you are pushing it."

"I'd like you to lighten up, but I guess that only happens with Emil."

"You're just hell bent on finding all the wrong things to say, aren't you?"

"Not really; just the true things."

Richter gave an indignant huff, finding this conversation pointless and frustrating. He picked up his book and opened it very dramatically, as though the gesture somehow lent some sort of finality when done in such a way; giving some unspoken signal that the discussion was _over_ and he was not going to entertain another one. 

Aqua let it go, knowing she probably deserved to be ignored in such a way. She really was only telling the truth, but the intent _had_ been to tease the half-elf, so she could understand if he got a bit upset by her embarrassing observations. A few minutes went by in which she spent her time gazing at the surrounding woods, taking a particular interest in her reflection in the mirror, an unusually smooth rock among those that encircled the ashes of the campfire from the previous night, and a pair of doves that settled in the boughs for a moment's rest. Once the air between them seemed to clear, and the sound of Richter turning pages seemed much less _angry_ (if page-turning alone could have an attitude), Aqua peeked around the edge of the novel, scanning a few brief sentences with some interest. 

"What'cha reading?" She idly inquired, as if oblivious to the uncomfortable atmosphere that had only just passed since their last awkward conversation. 

"Porn.", the man replied bluntly.

"R-really?!" Aqua turned impossibly red, an odd hue considering her usual pale blue complexion.

"Does that make you uncomfortable?"

"A-a l-little..."

"Embarrassed?"

"A b-bit..."

"Good." Richter muttered before the corners of his mouth curved up into a smirk. "Now you know how it feels. We're even now."

The relief she now felt was a stark contrast to her previous anxiety and discomfiture. "I should have guessed you were teasing. You don't seem the kind of person who'd be into pornography."

"I also seem the kind who wouldn't be facetious." Richter grinned.

It took Aqua a few seconds to realize what that sentence entailed. "W-w-wait! So you _do_ \--?!"

"Maybe."

"A-are you, _now_?!"

"I might be..." Richter's grin grew more guilty and lecherous by the moment; either he was a damn fine actor, or he was really reading smut. 

"Wh-wh-! G-give me that!" Aqua snatched the book out of Richter's hands, and began scanning the words furiously, even as the red-haired man shouted an indignant objection and demanded his book returned. "If I'm going to have to hold your wiener while you pee all day, I think you at least owe me an idea about what you're reading!" She had trouble with a few of the words, but it became clear after a few sentences that the contents of this book were obviously not lewd or sensual, even in the remotest sense. On the contrary, the phrasing was very dull and lackluster, direct and to the point, and most of what she read seemed to be an account of the history of Asgard. 

"Damn it all, Aqua, give me my book back." Richter insisted. 

Aqua handed the book to him, feeling like she had just walked into the same glass window twice in a row. "For a second, I really thought it was pornography..."

"Would you think ill of me if it was?"

"N-not exactly. It just doesn't seem like something you'd read. W-wait! Then were you serious before or not?! About actually liking it?!"

"Why does this concern you? If I do, it's entirely my own business."

"Well, I just... want to get to know you better, that's all."

"And my tastes in erotic literature is the _first_ aspect of me you'd like to explore?!" Richter responded, aghast. 

"Not really the _first_! All I did was ask what you were reading, _you're_ the one that got the subject onto porn!"

"Yes, and your curiosity has now perpetuated it. I suppose the next thing you'll be asking is what position I prefer and if I masturbate overhand or underhand."

"No, no! Absolutely not! I wasn't going to ask any of that!" Aqua hid her face in her hands, it was so red that it was practically oozing blood from the pores. 

"Would you like me to tell you anyway?"

" _Nooooooo!_ " Aqua squealed. 

"Then please, take this as a lesson to start paying attention to what lines you cross."

Aqua nodded, still hiding her face in her hands. Richter returned to his reading, smile still lingering, having enjoyed that banter for some inexplicable reason.

Eventually, the embarrassment passed, and before Aqua could restrain the urge to begin a conversation, she asked "What would you have done if I had actually said 'yes'?"

Richter's hand, as though magnetized, found it's way straight to his forehead with the utmost speed and force. "Oh, Goddess, why doesn't your brain work?" He muttered. "I would've shit rainbows, okay? How's _that_ for an answer?"

Aqua's attempt to muffle her laughter made it come out as an unattractive snort. "I'd actually kind of like to see that, now."

Richter let the full meaning and imagery of what he'd said sink in, and couldn't help but smile. "Actually, I would, too." Laughter followed soon after the smile, and the only thing that kept them both from rolling across the forest floor roaring with laughter was the fact that Richter could not roll. Emil stirred and mumbled something in his sleep, having been roused a bit by the noise. Aqua and Richter both quieted immediately, but those stupid grins were still stuck to both of their faces. 

"So you _do_ have a sense of humor. That's nice." Aqua smiled at him.

"What, did you think I was some stiff, stuffy, no-nonsense guy all this time? I swear I made a few rare jokes in passing during our travels..."

"Yes, and they were all the callous, harsh, sarcastic kind." Aqua reminded him pointedly.

"I see..." 

"I guess... being with Emil really helped you..."

"Boundaries, Aqua." Richter reminded her. He really wasn't interested in her take on his relationship with Emil. He was well aware of the direct benefits and influences Emil had on his life, and the little details didn't really need to be brought to individual attention. And knowing Aqua, she would pick apart the particulars and somehow find a way to make it about her.

"S-sorry..." The Centurion muttered. Aqua sulked, wondering how the redhead could be so confusing; one minute he was joking and laughing with her, the next, he's back to being withdrawn and distant. Was this really what he considered "tolerating" her company? She started to think that maybe this was partly because of her. She knew she had a tendency to make Richter uncomfortable, even before his relationship with Emil. Maybe she held on to him too tightly... she was... too affectionate. But, Emil was affectionate, too... But... that affection was somehow different to Richter. Because the boy was shy, maybe. Or maybe just because he was a boy.

"I'm really glad you met Emil... You've helped each other so much. He's become so much braver because of you, I might even go so far as to describe him as 'daring', now. And you... you've... changed so much because of him. I almost want to say you're back to the way you were with... _him_ , but... you aren't... You seem... even more open and happy and not nearly as gruff as you used to be, even before he died." Richter flushed, as if in acknowledgement of the truth in that statement. Really, Emil had been the only person other than Aster he had truly been able to relax around, the only other person besides that first blond who could break him out of his shell. And Richter realized this was true of Emil as well. Only in Richter's presence did the boy show any signs of having his own agency, only with Richter was he able to freely voice his needs and wants - or, at least, far more freely than with even the closest of his friends. 

"Despite all that had to happen... I'm really glad I met him, too." That same faraway gaze was back, but softened, this time. It was only half for Aster, the other half was for Emil... "I guess I should thank you, too. If we hadn't met, I probably wouldn't have met Emil, either. And if it wasn't for all your help on our journey, I might never have made it this far."

"Oh, I really didn't do... anything that special..." Aqua blushed for the umpteenth time that day.

"Well, objectively, I suppose not. But it made a great deal of difference in my life." Richter returned his eyes to his book. "That, however, does not make us friends..."

Aqua sulked, wondering how the man could be so damn confusing. One minute, he's insisting he hates her, the next, he's offering to be tolerant of her company, then rejecting it, then laughing over a joke, then getting all mushy and sentimental, then going right back to insisting he hates her.

"However..." she perked up again, liking the sound of this condition to the aforementioned disdain, "I will admit, when you're not so wound up, you can be quite pleasant company."

"T-thank you, Master Richter." The Centurion did her best to suppress her enthusiasm, knowing that would just annoy the man and put her right back where she started. They sat in silence for a few minutes after, marred only for a moment when Emil turned over in his sleep, apparently having a dream - or maybe nightmare - about cooking. He had muttered something like: 'We're out of salt. No, we can't be out of salt...!' before a few indistinguishable murmurs and, finally, quiet once more.

Aqua and Richter couldn't help giggling a bit at his outburst, especially when Aqua dug around in Emil's pack and pulled out quite a large quantity of the seasoning the boy seemed to be lacking in his subconscious realm. After that, the subtle sound of Richter turning the pages of his book was all that could be heard, and eventually, Aqua couldn't contain her desire for stimulation, so she initiated another conversation.

"So, you like to read a lot?"

"Depends. If I can choose the subject, then yes. Unfortunately, so much of my time at the Academy was spent reading history tomes and deciphering elven texts for humans that my enjoyment of the activity was greatly lessened."

"But, you're reading a history text... in elven..." Aqua remarked, enunciating to make the irony of this reality emphatically clear to Richter.

"It's the only thing I have on me at the moment, except for a novel I've read and re-read a thousand times."

"This?" Aqua pulled a 'book' - if the sloppily bound papers could be called that - with no cover and no spine from the half-elf's bag. "This is a book?" She thumbed through the well worn pages, finding ink smudges and coffee stains every so often, and one page that was entirely blank except for a small doodle of a man with devil horns pasted on the corner of said blank page. 

"Oh, please put that back!" Richter cringed, wearing an almost pained expression as the words came out as though they were a single long word.

"Why? This book's a total wreck. You should throw it out and get a new one." Aqua was about to throw the book in the ashes of the fire pit when Richter cried out in a deafening tone.

"No!" Richter cringed, realizing that he was damn lucky that he didn't wake Emil with a voice that loud. Aqua was frozen, shocked - maybe even frightened - expression across her face. "I can't... get a new one. That's the only one in existence."

"Why?" Aqua was puzzled by this, voicing her inner dialogue aloud, "Most printed works have had several editions published, why would this one be so rare?"

"Because it was never published..." Richter murmured, an almost nostalgic look in his eyes. 

"Who even wrote this, anyway? There's no author, no title, it just starts..."

"Aster..." Aqua froze, trembling. "He wrote that... for me..." Tears came to Aqua's eyes and she held the book very gently, now, as though the slightest movement would tear the delicate pages and ruin the precious, _precious_ item she now clutched. "They're all stories he used to tell me when we were kids."

Aqua was sobbing now, tears streaming down her face, losing the last shred of her composure before she broke into a strangled wail. "I'm sorry, Master Richter, I--" She hesitantly held the book in outstretched arms, looking at it with new admiration before trying to put it back in Richter's bag. The pages wrinkled, she heard a crunch, a few bits of dry paper flaked off and one of the back pages ripped off in her hand. She gasped and a new wave of tears rolled out of her along with a fresh stream of apologies. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! What did I do?! I should never have touched it! It was already in such bad shape, and now it's ruined! I'm sorry!"

It took three attempts at calling her name before Richter finally got her attention. "Aqua. Calm down." The Centurion paused in the middle of hitting herself, muttering 'stupid' over and over between apologies. "It's very old. The pages are coming undone. Every time I read it, about three of them fall out. You didn't ruin anything, alright? But now you know why I don't want you to touch it, don't you?"

"Y-y-yes, Master Richter..." The Centurion dried her tears hesitantly, as though she felt like her crying was not yet done, that she was not yet forgiven, and that somehow, the tears would help her undo what she had done.

"You know, I had never given much thought to fairy tales and fantasy, even when Aster was alive. But after I lost him, those stories I once found ridiculous and childish somehow became more meaningful than anything in my whole life. That book didn't mean anything to me when he was alive. Now, that's the third most precious thing I have."

"Th-third?"

"That book, Emil, and you, are the three most precious things I have..."

"M-me?! But I thought--! W-we're not even--! You said we weren't friends!"

"True. And I'll still say that. But... I don't really have any friends at all, do I?"

"B-but... Avery, and Rilena, and Kate and the others at Sybak --?"

"Well, alright. I guess I have a few... and I guess that if we use the same standard for measuring our relationship as we do for their's... I guess that _does_ make us... 'friends'."

"R-really?!"

"Now, now, don't get all worked up over it, alright. It's not like I love you or anything..."

"I know, I know... But... this is enough for me..." she snuggled close beside him, not even asking his permission this time.

"Don't get too comfortable, Aqua... I'll be needing your 'assistance' again very soon."

Aqua shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, what are 'friends' for, right?"


End file.
